Let me begin my story at the very beginning. Well, not the very beginning (babies are boring af), but the moments that made me the extra/queen/fierce/power-woman I am today. I know, I am, like, THE most humble.

So, in elementary school, I was taunted, harassed, and straight up bullied. I know, I know - so were you, your friend, your sister and your therapist’s husband’s niece’s boyfriend, but bear with me for a sec.

Not only was I overweight, I was #blessed with the frizzy, coarse mane of a pre-teen Jewess – and the voluminous unibrow to match. I was also super into musical theater and singing and dancing, which didn’t help. Every day at recess I performed my signature performance – a one-woman show that I wrote, produced, and starred in – called Socializing with Sylvie.

While I, personally, found my performance innovative, humorous, and honestly groundbreaking, my fellow sixth-graders were not fans of my pre-teen artistic prowess. In fact, they continued to laugh at me until I realized that I would never make cool seventh-grade friends if I kept being myself. I would never find the Gordo and Miranda to my Lizzie.

So, here’s the thing – not only was I taunted because I was fat and hairy, I was also a laughingstock because of my personality. Ouch. Between sixth grade and seventh grade, though, I turned it all around. I completely changed to match the “cool” kids. I suppressed my extra-ness and my inclinations to sing, dance, and make sarcastic jokes. I got a keratin treatment for the first time. I started taking dance classes and lost hella weight. I discovered Jergens Natural Glow (don’t even get me started). I experimented with eyeliner and lip gloss… not very well, but that’s beside the point. My hair became straight, lifeless and boring… and so did I. I did get boobs early on, though, which was neat.

Anyway, by the time high school rolled around, I was one of those girls who wore Abercrombie jean skirts and Uggs (a beautiful pairing, I know). Most importantly, I wore a personality I thought other people would like. It wasn’t until I was seventeen or so that I really cut the BS and started to pursue who I wanted to be. I went balls-to-the-wall in school, got into Stanford (I really wanted to go somewhere where the weather was perfect 365 days a year), and finally discovered who my real friends were. And they didn’t give a shit what I looked like.

I’m sure you’re wondering – what does this have to do with Mirra? Well, friends, the reason I really connected with Mirra is that my Mirra homies know that beauty is much more than products, cosmetics, consumers, and Instagram thots.

Beauty is a conversation, an experience, a lifestyle, and an ongoing journey toward self-discovery. Don’t get me wrong, I’m obsessed with cosmetic products. There’s nothing I love more than primping for a night out, getting all dressed up and feeling like the damn princess of Genovia. But, to me, actually feeling beautiful is more than that. It’s about stepping out and SLAYING. It’s about listening to your gut and being who you want to be, even if other people laugh at you or comment mean shit on your Instagram. It’s about being smart, driven, fierce, and fabulous. It’s about focusing on YOURSELF.

Don’t get me wrong, my journey to true beauty is far from complete. But, hopefully, Mirra will help me – and you – get one step closer.